Deposition of titanium amides

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a process for enhancing the chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride from a titanium containing precursor selected from the group consisting of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium, tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium and mixtures thereof, reacted with ammonia to produce the titanium nitride on a semiconductor substrate by the addition of organic amines, such as dipropylamine, in a range of approximately 10 parts per million by weight to 10% by weight, preferably 50 parts per million by weight to 1.0 percent by weight, most preferably 100 parts per million by weight to 5000 parts per million by weight to the titanium containing precursor wherein prior to the reaction, said titanium containing precursor is subjected to a purification process to remove hydrocarbon impurities from the titanium containing precursor. It is shown that addition of small amounts of organic amines enhance the deposition rate of titanium nitride, while the presence of hydrocarbons, such as n-decane, retard the deposition rate of titanium nitride.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of US Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/157,866 filed Oct. 6, 1999.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Titanium compounds, such as titanium nitride are finding increasingusage in a number of utilities, particularly in the production ofelectronic materials of construction for integrated circuits forcomputer chips.

Titanium nitride provides enhanced electrical conductivity forelectronic circuits and exhibits excellent barrier properties for othermetal depositions on silicon substrates. As a result, the electronicsdevice fabrication industry has found increasing usage of titaniumcompound depositions for coatings prior to subsequent conductor metaldepositions.

Techniques for titanium nitride deposition fromtetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium (TDMAT) andtetrakis(diethylamino)titanium (TDEAT) are known in the literature. Forinstance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,825 discloses the deposition of titaniumnitride from TDMAT or TDEAT in reaction with ammonia under chemicalvapor deposition (CVD) conditions of 100 to 400° C., preferably 150 to300° C., most preferably 200 to 250° C., under reduced pressure andusing an inert carrier gas, such as nitrogen or helium, to deposittitanium nitride on a heated substrate, such as a heated siliconcontaining substrate.

However, the deposition rate of titanium nitride has been highlyvariable and does not lend itself to repeatable, precise use in theelectronic fabrication industry, where a multitude of silicon wafers areprocessed simultaneously, and many batches of wafers are processedconsecutively. High yields of electronically acceptable wafers arenecessary for the titanium nitride process to be acceptable commerciallyto the electronics fabrication industry. Additionally, the speed ofdeposition is critical to provide economic processing of titaniumnitride coated wafers in the hundred plus step processing of blanksilicon wafers to the final electrically acceptable individualintegrated circuits produced by the electronics fabrication industry.

The problems of low depostion rate and variable deposition rate fortitanium compounds deposited by CVD from titanium containing precursorsis unexpectedly overcome by the process of the present invention by theaddtion of amine additives and/or the removal of trace amounts ofhydrocarbon impurities as will be set forth with greater detail below.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a process for enhancing the chemical vapordeposition of titanium nitride from a titanium containing precursorselected from the group consisting of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium,tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium and mixtures thereof, reacted withammonia to produce the titanium nitride on a semiconductor substrate bythe addition of organic amines, such as dipropylamine, in a range ofapproximately 10 parts per million by weight to 10 percent by weight,preferably 50 parts per million by weight to 1.0 percent by weight, mostpreferably 100 parts per million by weight to 5000 parts per million byweight to the titanium containing precursor wherein prior to thereaction, said titanium containing precursor is subjected to apurification process to remove hydrocarbon impurities from the titaniumcontaining precursor. It is shown that addition of small amounts oforganic amines enhance the deposition rate of titanium nitride, whilethe presence of hydrocarbons, such as n-decane and analogoushydrocarbons, retard the deposition rate of titanium nitride.

The Present Invention is also a process for determining a predicteddeposition rate of a batch of a titanium containing precursor in achemical vapor deposition of a titanium containing compound on asubstrate, comprising; analyzing the organic amine content of the batchto determine an analytical amine content, comparing the analytical aminecontent against an amine content standard and determining the predicteddeposition rate from a deposition rate standard based upon the deviationof the analytical amine content from the amine content standard, whereinthe predicted deposition rate is greater than the deposition ratestandard when the analytical amine content is greater than the aminecontent standard and the predicted deposition rate is less than thedeposition rate standard when the analytical amine content is less thanthe amine content standard.

The Present Invention is further a process for determining a predicteddeposition rate of a batch of a titanium containing precursor in achemical vapor deposition of a titanium containing compound on asubstrate, comprising; analyzing the hydrocarbon content of the batch todetermine an analytical hydrocarbon content, comparing the analyticalhydrocarbon content against an hydrocarbon content standard anddetermining the predicted deposition rate from a deposition ratestandard based upon a deviation of the analytical hydrocarbon contentfrom the hydrocarbon content standard, wherein the predicted depositionrate is less than the deposition rate standard when the analyticalhydrocarbon content is greater than the hydrocarbon content standard andthe predicted deposition rate is greater than the deposition ratestandard when the analytical hydrocarbon content is less than thehydrocarbon content standard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph of the correlation of compounds classified asn-containing with deposition rate (angstroms per minute). LinearRegression: Slope=67.2, Intercept=−3334, correlation coefficient,r=−0.924.

FIG. 2 is a graph of the correlation of compounds classified ashydrocarbons with deposition rate (angstroms per minute). LinearRegression: Slope=−111, Intercept=9774, correlation coefficient,r=−0.797.

FIG. 3 is a graph of the typical chromatogram of the SPME-sampledheadspace of a hydrolyzed TMDAT sample. GC Conditions: InjectorTemperature: 190° C.; Oven Program: 40° C. for 2 minutes, Ramp at 25°C./minute, 250° C. for 2 minutes; Detector: thermal conductivity,temperature=250° C.; Column: DB-1, 30 m long×0.53 mm ID×5 μm film.

FIG. 4 is a graph of the variation of peak area with μg decane added.Conditions: 5 mL aqueous volume, 10 mL headspace, 100 μm PDMS fiber, 2minute absorb, 1 min desorb, thermal conductivity detector. 6 datapoints cover range of 0.4 to 1720 μg n-decane.

FIG. 5 is a graph of the total hydrocarbon peak area as a function ofsample volume (1 μL=1000 μg). Conditions: 5 mL aqueous volume, 10 mLheadspace, 100 μm PDMS fiber, 2 minute absorb, 1 min desorb, thermalconductivity detector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Titanium compounds are deposited on substrates, such as siliconcontaining substrates by known techniques for reaction of titaniumcontaining precursors with ammonia under CVD conditions of elevatedtemperature and reduced pressure as set forth in U.S. Pat. No.5,139,825, the entire text of which is expressly incorporated herein byreference.

The present invention is a process for enhancing the chemical vapordeposition of titanium containing compounds, such as titanium nitride,from a titanium containing precursor, such astetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium, specifically those selected from thegroup consisting of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium,tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium and mixtures thereof, reacted withammonia to produce the titanium containing compound on a semiconductorsubstrate by the addition of organic amines, such as dipropylamine, in arange of approximately 10 parts per million by weight to 10% by weight,preferably 50 parts per million by weight to 1.0 percent by weight, mostpreferably 100 parts per million by weight to 5000 parts per million byweight to the titanium containing precursor under chemical vapordeposition (CVD) conditions of 100 to 400° C., preferably 150 to 300°C., most preferably 200 to 250° C., under reduced pressure and using aninert carrier gas, such as nitrogen or helium, to deposit titaniumnitride on a heated substrate, such as a heated silicon containingsubstrate.

A method to predict the performance of the titanium nitride chemicalvapor deposition titanium containing precursors, such astetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium, preferablytetrakis(dimethylamine)titanium (TDMAT) andtetrakis(diethylamino)titanium (TDEAT) has been developed. A precursorsample is hydrolyzed using water and then extracted using either aclassical solvent extraction or solid-phase microextraction. The extractis analyzed by gas chromatography and the amount and nature of extractedcompounds can be used to predict the deposition performance of thechemical.

TDMAT and TDEAT can be hydrolyzed either directly into water or byintroducing onto ice and allowing the ice to thaw. The chosen approachdepends on the sample quantity to be hydrolyzed. Quantities below 0.1 gare typically hydrolyzed directly into water while larger quantities(0.1 to 5 g) use the ice variation to address safety concerns and limitloss of volatile compounds owing to the exothermic hydrolysis reaction.

A typical procedure over ice consists of adding 10 g of water to asealable vessel (vial or centrifuge tube), freezing the water, and thenadding the desired quantity of TDMAT or TDEAT. The vessel is sealed toavoid loss of volatile compounds and the ice is allowed to thaw byleaving the vessel at room temperature. As the ice thaws, the liquidwater initiates hydrolysis of the TDMAT or TDEAT in a controlled manner.

Extraction is affected in two modes. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME)is a solventless technique used in an increasing variety of analyses.The chosen fiber type depends on the compound types of interest. Thegeneral analyses described here have used a 100 μm non-bondedpolydimethylsiloxane coated fiber. Other types of fibers can besubstituted to enhance the extraction for specific classes of compounds.For example, a 65 μm polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene fiber has beenused to provide better extraction efficiency for the nitrogen-containingcompounds found in TDMAT and TDEAT.

The exact SPME conditions are subject to optimization. Typicallyanalyses have used a 2 to 4 minute absorption in the headspace of thevial in which TDMAT or TDEAT has been hydrolyzed, followed by a 1 minutedesorption in the injection port of a gas chromatograph. This serves toextract a majority of volatiles from the sample vial and desorb theminto the gas chromatograph for characterization. Longer or shorter timesmay be used to optimize the extraction for specific compounds or reducethe analysis time.

The classical solvent-based extraction can use any water immisciblesolvent which has an affinity for the extractable compounds.Diethylether, methylisobutylketone, toluene, and methylene chloride haveall been found to be suitable extractants. Of these, methylene chlorideis most frequently used since it has a low boiling point, is more densethan water, and does not have impurities similar to those found in TDMATand TDEAT. The ratio of water to extraction solvent can be varied toadjust the extract concentration to a level suitable for the gaschromatographic detector.

The extract (either SPME or solvent) are analyzed by gas chromatography.The column type chosen depends on the degree of separation desired. Thefollowing columns and gas chromatographic parameters have beensuccessfully used to separate TDMAT and TDEAT extractables.

TABLE 1 Analysis Conditions 1: Column Phase 100% polydimethylsiloxanePhase Thickness (μm)  5 Column Length (m)  30 Column diameter (mm)  0.53Flow rate (ml/min)  8.0 Injection Port Temperature (° C.) 190 InjectVolume (μL)  5, Splitless Initial Oven Temperature (° C.) &  50° C./5minutes Time (min) Oven Ramp Rate  10° C./minute Final Oven Temperatureand time 250° C./5 minutes Detector Thermal Conductivity DetectorTemperature 260° C.

TABLE 2 Analysis Conditions 2: Column Phase 100% polydimethylsiloxanePhase Thickness (μm)  5 Column Length (m)  30 Column diameter (mm)  0.53Flow rate (ml/min)  8.0 Injection Port Temperature (° C.) 190 InjectVolume (μL)  1.0 Initial Oven Temperature (° C.) &  50° C./5 minutesTime (min) Oven Ramp Rate  20° C./minute Final Oven Temperature and time250° C./5 minutes Detector Thermal Conductivity Detector Temperature260° C.

TABLE 3 Analysis Conditions 3: Column Phase 95% polydimethylsiloxane/ 5% Divinylbenzene Phase Thickness (μm)  0.5 Column Length (m)  60Column diameter (mm)  0.25 Flow rate (cm/sec)  50 Injection PortTemperature (° C.) 190 Inject Volume (μL)  0.2, 1:100 Split Initial OvenTemperature (° C.) & 100° C./5 minutes Time (min) Oven Ramp Rate  10°C./minute Final Oven Temperature and time 250° C./5 minutes DetectorMass Spectrometer (Finnegan GCQ) Detector Temperature 260° C.

Mass spectrometry has been used to characterize the compounds found inTDMAT and TDEAT. Chromatograms obtained with a gas chromatography withmass spectrometer have been correlated to gas chromatography thermalconductivity detection to allow rapid classification of the extractedcompounds. Additional detectors used for gas chromatography may besubstituted for those indicated in the above tables to provide morespecific analyses. Flame ionization detector, nitrogen-phosphorusdetectors, photoionization detectors, electron-capture detectors, andatomic emission detectors can be used to focus in on specific types ofcompounds and/or enhance the sensitivity.

Calibration for the extracted compounds can be carried out by differentapproaches. The calibration can be performed using the method ofstandard addition and also using external standards for the solid-phasemicroextraction variation of this analysis. It has been found the choicebetween external calibration and the method of standard additionsdepends on the type of compound being quantitated. Aliphatichydrocarbons appear to be fully extracted using both approaches and canbe calibrated using external standards. The nitrogen-containing species,are not fully extracted owing to affinity for the aqueous phase andwould required standard addition or matrix-matched calibration foraccurate quantitation.

The results from the analyses described above are used to predict thedeposition performance of the precursors. The compounds found in TDEATand TDMAT may be identified using the mass spectrometric variation ofthe analysis described above. Typically, samples are found to containunsaturated amines and also aliphatic hydrocarbons, presumably derivedfrom synthesis techniques.

Gas chromatographic retention times for different column systems can bedetermined, preliminary compound identification, i.e., the class towhich each compound is assigned, and thermal conductivity detectorresponse for extracted TDEAT can be tabulated.

The utility of this approach to predict deposition performance isdemonstrated by Table 4 and FIGS. 1 and 2. The compounds found throughanalysis have been grouped into two main classifications, those whichcontain a nitrogen heteroatom (N), those which do not (HC), and thosefor which could not be definitely assigned to one group or the other(Unclass.).

TABLE 4 Results from extract analysis (arbitrary units) along withmeasured deposition rate. (angstroms/minute) Deposition Lot# Total N HCUnclass. Rate 129 3471 2829  511 131 1.41 135 5568 1265 4219  84 1.0 137 2965 2143  669 153 1.37 138 2948  954 1464 530 1.12 139 3889 13311978 580 1.13 140 3467 1355 1694 418 1.12 142 1641 1481  98  62 1.19 1442901 2720  123  58 1.42

FIGS. 1 and 2 demonstrate a correlation between these two compoundclasses and the deposition rate performance of the chemical. Individualcompounds found within these two main groupings may have a more specificeffect on the deposition performance. The procedure described above iscapable of measuring these compounds specifically and thereby predictingthe deposition performance of TDMAT and TDEAT.

An analytical method capable of detecting hydrocarbon impurities intetrakis(dimethylamine)titanium (TDMAT) has been developed in thepresent invention. The method is capable of detecting microgramquantities of hydrocarbon resulting in detection limits in theparts-per-million range. Owing to the number of species detected,individual compound calibration was impractical. The total hydrocarboncontent is reported as n-decane and is semi-quantitative due to theassumption that all hydrocarbons have the same sensitivity as n-decane.Method validity was demonstrated by spiking TDMAT sample with 6800 and3580 parts per million (ppm) by weight of n-decane. Recovery was 106 and120% by weight, respectively.

Assay, or the determination of molecular impurities, oftetrakis(dimethylamine)titanium (TDMAT) is difficult since this compoundhas a very low volatility and cannot be analyzed using gaschromatography. A variety of stationary phases and temperature profileshave been unsuccessful at providing repeatable results indicating theoverall purity of TDMAT samples. The air and moisture reactivity preventanalysis using reversed phase liquid chromatography, a common techniquefor non-volatile or thermally labile compounds. Normal phase liquidchromatography was unsuccessful at providing an assay, presumably theresult of reaction of the TDMAT with polar sites on the column packingsand residual moisture in the mobile phase.

The current practice evaluating the TDMAT assay consists of obtaining aproton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (NMR) and examining thespectrum for any small peaks not assignable to TDMAT. The currentprocedure is qualitative in nature since the sample preparation has notbeen controlled, nor is there any form of standardization orcalibration. Since NMR is capable of detecting impurities atapproximately the 1% level, the presence of any signal resolved from theTDMAT signal indicated an assay of <99%. Conversely, the absence ofpeaks indicated an assay of >99% (all percents by weight).

The reactivity of TDMAT with moisture was utilized to develop a methodto determine trace hydrocarbons present in TDMAT. Rather than avoidingdecomposition, the entire sample is completely hydrolyzed. Afterhydrolysis, the sample can be extracted to separate hydrocarbons nothydrolyzed from titanium dioxide and water-soluble impurities, such asdimethylamine. These hydrocarbons are surmised to originate from thesolvents used to synthesize TDMAT since they are not by-products of thesynthesis reaction. Extraction was accomplished using solid-phasemicroextraction. This technique uses a glass fiber coated withpolymethyidisiloxane to absorb species with a high affinity for thecoating. Polar compounds (water, dimethylamine) have a low affinity forthe coating and are absorbed to a lesser extent. In this manner ahydrolyzed sample can be extracted quickly and in repeatable fashionwith limited use of solvents.

The absorbed species are desorbed in the hot injection port of a gaschromatograph (GC) and are analyzed in normal gas chromatographicfashion using a suitable detector. Relatively little water anddimethylamine are transferred to the GC insuring good detectability forthe hydrocarbon impurities.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was performed using SPME equipmentavailable from Supelco Inc. (Bellefonte, Pa.). The type of fiber usedwas a 100 μm non-bonded polymethyidisiloxane (PDMS) coated fiber withmanual sample introduction. A weighed aliquot of TDMAT (0.010 to 0.100g) is injected via syringe into a 5 mL volume of distilled deionizedwater in a closed 15 mL vial resulting in immediate hydrolysis. Volatilespecies are retained since the vial contains a septum and cap. Followinga period of at least 10 minutes to allow the sample to equilibrate withthe ambient temperature, the vial headspace is sampled using the SPMEfiber for 2.0 minutes. The fiber is transferred to the GC injection portand compounds are desorbed for 1.0 minute at a temperature of 190° C. Atypical chromatogram is provided in FIG. 3 along with the GC conditions.

At approximately 1 minute, a broad double-humped peak elutes, the resultof air leakage into the GC during SPME fiber introduction. The width ofthis peak is dependent on the time the SPME fiber is kept in theinjection port of the GC. Superimposed on this peak is a large peak dueto water adsorbed by the fiber, and a smaller peak which is due todimethylamine produced by the hydrolysis of TDMAT. No other highvolatility components are detected. After approximately 8 minutesretention time, a series of peaks from the hydrocarbon impurities begin.The n-decane peak was identified by GC-mass spectrometry and by spikinga sample with n-decane.

The GC response for the hydrocarbons is dependent on two primaryfactors, the sensitivity of the detector for each compound and theaffinity of the fiber coating for each compound. To calibrateaccurately, the identity of each compound must be determined and boththese factors determined. Initial experiments utilized GC-massspectrometry to identify the impurities extracted from the TDMAT. Massspectral library searches indicated that most compounds were C₉ to C₂₀alkanes and some aromatic species such as alkylbenzenes. The totalnumber of impurities found was greater than 30. Owing to the spectralsimilarity of many alkanes, definite identification of all theimpurities was not possible. The decision was made to proceed with asemi-quantitative approach, using a single compound to estimate theconcentration for all the impurities. N-decane was chosen as itsvolatility (indicated by GC retention time) was median for the range ofhydrocarbons detected. Its affinity for the fiber is therefore expectedto be typical of all the hydrocarbons. The detector used was thermalconductivity detector (TCD) which provides approximately uniformresponse for these compounds. All results are for total hydrocarbons,reported as parts-per-million n-decane (ppm). Calculations wereperformed using the total hydrocarbon peak area, obtained by integratingall peaks between 7 and 14 minutes. No peaks eluted after 14 minutes.

Calibration is performed by preparing a standard of n-decane inisopropanol. Weighed portions of the isopropanol solution are added to 5mL of distilled water in 15 mL vials and sample in the same manner ashydrolyzed TDMAT to construct the calibration curve. Calibrations werealso performed via standard addition to determine if the methodsensitivity was affected by the presence of hydrolyzed TDMAT.

The SPME fiber has a limited capacity. This capacity was determined byanalyzing standards of increasing concentration and by varying the TDMATsample size. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show plots of peak area versus sampleamount.

The linear range of FIG. 4 demonstrates that the fiber capacity isapproximately 250 μg of decane. TDMAT samples producing total peak arearesults above 12000 would require a smaller sample size since theresponse of the fiber/detector combination is non-linear when the fiberis overloaded. The maximum sample size is governed by the hydrocarbonconcentration of the sample. For hydrocarbon concentrations below 1% byweight, the maximum TDMAT sample size is approximately the fibercapacity divided by the hydrocarbon concentration. (250 μg /0.01=25,000μg TDMAT or 25 μL). FIG. 5 evaluates sample size by evaluating linearityas the sample size is increased. Sample volumes up to 25 μL produced alinear response indicating that the fiber capacity had not beenexceeded. Both the n-decane calibration experiment and the TDMAT samplesize indicate approximately the same fiber capacity assuming the totalhydrocarbon impurity is approximately 1% by weight.

The presence of a matrix effect was evaluated by preparing a calibrationcurve in an aqueous matrix and one containing hydrolyzed TDMAT andcomparing the slope or sensitivity. See Table 5 below.

TABLE 5 Calibration data for hydrocarbons (expressed as decane) inaqueous and TDMAT matrices. Aqueous slope = 35.4, Aqueous standard errorof slope = 2.6, TDMAT slope = 36.5, TDMAT standard error of slope = 6.5.Area μg Decane Added Area (aqueous matrix) (TDMAT matrix)  0.0   0 2940,3631 11.0  526.8 3881, 4002 22.5  823.3, 905.5, 1087 3681, 4204 45.01627, 1673 5032, 5032

The 95% confidence intervals of the slopes overlap, indicating that thepresence of hydrolyzed TMDAT does not significantly affect slopesensitivity. To simplify analysis, future calibration was performed onlyin an aqueous matrix. Calibration should be performed at regularintervals or whenever the SPME fiber is changed since the sensitivity isprimarily dependent on the fiber affinity for the hydrocarbons and willchange over time or among fibers.

The calibration data reveal that precision can be poor, particularly inthe TDMAT matrix. Precision was evaluated both for replicate analysesand over different days. Replicate analyses had a relative standarddeviation of between 5 and 15%. Precision was not different with aqueousor TDMAT-matrix samples and some unknown/uncontrolled factor appears tobe responsible for the high variances measured. A contributing factor tothe poor precision is the small sample size. The high affinity of thefiber for the hydrocarbons and the relatively high hydrocarbonconcentration in TDMAT requires a small sample size. Control of thefiber adsorption and desorption time interval improved the precision.Owing to the poor precision for some analyses, it is recommended that aminimum of three sample preparations and analyses be performed on eachsample. It is not possible to re-analyze (absorb and introduce into aGC) a hydrolyzed sample due to depletion of the hydrocarbons in theheadspace by the extraction procedure.

Analysis reproducibility was evaluated by analyzing 2 samples ondifferent days. Table 6 provides these results.

TABLE 6 Analysis reproducibility study. Average ± 1 standard deviation.(sa) - result obtained by 4 level standard addition, (d) - duplicateanalyses, aqueous calibration, (t) - triplicate analyses, aqueouscalibration. Sample Result - Day 1 Result - Day 2 Lot A 6224 (sa) 6131 ±195(d) Lot B 16,222 ± 826(d) 16019 ± 1053(t)

No precision estimate is available for Lot A, Day 1, since only 1unspiked sample was analyzed. There is no significant difference (95%confidence) between results obtained on different days. The Lot B, Day 2result had a high standard deviation due to one apparent outlier(individuals were 16327, 16885, and 14846). However, the low point couldnot be discarded using any outlier test since a good estimate of themethod variance is not available. Arbitrary removal of the low pointimproves the precision to 16606±395. This result is not significantlydifferent than the day 1 analysis.

Potential loss of hydrocarbon during the hydrolysis step, which isexothermic, was evaluated by spiking decane directly into a TDMAT sampleand performing the entire analysis procedure. Two different amounts ofdecane were added to two aliquots of a TDMAT sample. Results aresummarized in Table 7.

TABLE 7 Spike and recovery study results for n-decane spiked into TDMAT.All samples were analyzed in duplicate and the average hydrocarboncontent (in ppm n-decane) is listed. Spike Difference Concen- (Spiked -Percent Unspiked Spiked Result tration Unspiked) Re- Result (ppm) (ppm)(ppm) (ppm) covery 8988 16238 6801 7250 106.6 8988 13300 3582 4312 120.4

The recovery of n-decane added to TDMAT was satisfactory. The initialunspiked sample was analyzed 1 day prior to the spike samples indicatinggood day-to-day reproducibility.

An analytical method, capable of detecting hydrocarbon impurities inTDMAT has been developed in accordance with the present invention. Theanalytical procedure described is semi-quantitative since only a singlecompound, n-decane, is used for calibration. Although the currentprecision has a relative standard deviation of 5-15%, the method is ableto detect hydrocarbon impurities and distinguish among differentsources.

Current method limitations are the high relative precision and thesemi-quantitative results. The method could be made quantitative innature by identifying all the impurities and calibrating for each ordeveloping relative response factors for each compound relative ton-decane. These relative response factors would need to take intoaccount the affinity of each compound for the PDMS fiber.

Alternative analysis for hydrocarbon impurities and analysis of amineswas studied using tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium. Tetrakis(diethylamino) titanium (TDEAT) is purified by short path distillationon a 6″ wiped film still (Pope Scientific, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.).

Short path distillation is a process whereby low volatility chemicalscan be separated without extensive exposure to heat that would otherwisehave the potential to decompose the chemical or its constitutents.Chemical is introduced into a downflow heated tubular inner wall of adistillation still under vacuum conditions. Coaxially within the tubularheated wall is a condenser. Liquid chemical is drawn down the innersurface of the heated wall of the still and more volatile constituentsare vaporized and condensed on the coaxially positioned condenser.Separate collection outlets remove the resulting condensate ordistillate and the lower volatile liquid or residue at the base of thestill.

The original process parameters did not reduce a variety of volatileimpurities down to an acceptable concentration. These parameters, whichinclude feed rate, rotor speed, vacuum, wall temperature, post-walltemperature, main condenser temperature, prefraction condensertemperature, and prefraction flask temperature, were optimized to reducethe volatile impurities to acceptable concentrations.

Purification of TDEAT has been performed by wiped film distillation bythe inventors. The original parameters were determined by calculation,and once put into practice, they were found to yield acceptable resultsusing the analytical techniques that were in use at that time. The onlyassay method in use was NMR. As the inventors further developed thisproduct, the inventors devised a technique to analyze for volatilecompounds such as hydrocarbons and amines. This new assay techniquehighlighted a need for improved purification abilities.

The original parameters included an evaporation (wall) temperature of120° C. This temperature, at low pressures, is higher than needed forTDEAT evaporation. Hence, higher boiling volatiles will also evaporateoff of the wall. The original condensation (finger) temperature was 10°C., and this was low enough not only to condense TDEAT, but to condensemany other lower boiling volatiles. These absolute temperatures do nottake into account the changes in vacuum within the distillation chamber,and the vacuum in the chamber is dependent on a variety of factors,including raw material composition and feed rate.

Two approaches were taken to address this problem. The first is based ona change from absolute temperatures to relative temperatures. In lightof the inherent problem in controlling vacuum, the difference intemperature between the wall and the finger becomes more important thanthe absolute temperature of the wall or the finger. Contact time betweenthe wall and the liquid, a function of rotor speed, was also addressed.This allows raw material with a variety of compositions to be run inthis system.

The second approach was a focus on a more robust system. More precisetemperature control was required to implement the first approach. Thisincluded improved measuring of the liquid on the wall, as well as atemperature measurement of the liquid as it left the heated portion ofthe wall. It also required improved finger temperature measurement. Thetemperature of the prefraction flask was lowered to insure the lowerboiling volatiles did not evaporate again after they were collected.

Six experiments were done to examine the effects of parameter changes onpurity.

Experiment #1

This experiment was a graduated increase in the finger temperature from10° C. to 70° C. With all other parameters held constant, the finger wasset at 10° C., 30° C., 50° C., and 70° C. Two liters of raw material wasprocessed at each setting for a total raw material usage of eightliters. A sample was taken at each finger temperature, and the volume ofprefraction at each temperature was recorded. The samples were analyzedfor hydrocarbon (HC) profile.

This Table 8 compares the HC levels in ppm at various fingertemperatures in Experiment #1. The numbers are high because almost allof the prefraction is HC. The volume collected increases as thetemperature increases, showing that the lower boiling HC's do notcondense on the finger. The HC for this lot was 2630.

TABLE 8 Temp (° C.) QASS# HC PF vol. (ml) Main (L) Heels (L) Raw (8 L)1036  5559 N/A N/A N/A 10 1037 50715 5   1.8 .2 30 1038 52626 5   2.0 .450 1039 55101 10   1.8 .3 70 1040 47342 15   1.2 .6 Vol. Totals N/A N/A35 ml 6.8 1.3 

Experiment #2

This experiment was an optimization of the run by setting relativetemperatures for the wall and finger. With the finger temperatureconstant at 70° C., the wall temperature was increased until the mainfraction was seen flowing into the receiver. With the wall temperatureheld at that temperature, the finger temperature was increased untilflow into the main receiver stopped. The finger temperature was thenlowered until flow resumed.

Table 9 shows the relationship between the wall and finger temperaturesin Experiment #2. Flow can be started or stopped by changing theevaporation (wall) temperature or the condensation (finger) temperature.These temperatures are only applicable to this run. The evaporationtemperature was increased first, until at 90° C., product flowed. Itcontinued to flow until the condensation temperature increased to 85°C., when it stopped. It restarted as the temperature was lowered to 84°C. The HC for this lot was 1772 ppm.

TABLE 9 Wall 70 75 80 85 90 90 90 90 90 (temp) Finger 70 70 70 70 70 7580 85 84 (temp) flow no no no no yes yes yes no yes into rec'r

Experiment #3

This experiment examined the effect of rotor speed and feed rate onpurity. Another thermocouple was added to the middle exterior of thewall to better approximate the exact temperature of the liquid on theinterior wall. Another thermocouple was added at the bottom exterior ofthe wall to approximate the temperature of the liquid as it exited theheated area. With all other parameters held constant, the rotor speedwas varied from 200 RPM to 350 RPM to estimate the retention time ofliquid on the wall. Liquid was introduced into the chamber at a fixedrate, and the length of time to reach the bottom of the chamber wasestimated. The rotor speed was then held constant and the feed rate wasvaried to observe the effect of flooding the wall with liquid andunder-supplying the wall with liquid. Optimums for feed rate, rotorspeed, and all temperatures were considered reached when the bottom walltemperature was 5° C. less than the finger temperature.

Table 10 compares the relative (delta) temperature between theevaporation temperature (bottom) of the liquid exiting the chamber andthe condensation temperature (finger) for Experiment #3. The bottomtemperature is a function of rotor speed, feed rate, and walltemperature.

TABLE 10 Time 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (hr) Finger 80 84 83 84 85 83 83 84 84Bottom 98 82 72 72 62 66 69 80 70 Delta 18 2 11 12 23 17 14 4 14

Experiment #4

This experiment examined the effect of distilling material with a lowhydrocarbon impurity level. Lot #141 was redistilled at the parametersof Lot #142 in Table 13, below, using the newly determined optimizationtechniques.

Table 11 is a comparison of the process parameters for lot #141 and lot#143. The values are typical, but did vary.

TABLE 11 finger wall speed vacuum rate HC (temp) (temp) (RPM) (mTorr)(Lt./hr (ppm) Lot 141 70 120 202 500 2.2 2630 Lot 143 84  83 275 500 2.2 33

Experiment #5

This experiment examined the effect of packing the prefraction flask indry ice to prevent any captured volatiles from evaporating again. Theraw material was vendor lot material, which has seen typical HC levelsof 5000 ppm.

Experiment #6

This experiment examined the ability of the optimized process parametersto purify rework material and customer returns. This type of rawmaterial is normally in the 3000 ppm range.

Table 12 records the parameters for these lots. The values are typical,but did vary.

TABLE 12 finger wall wall wall speed vacuum rate HC (temp) middle bottomsetpoint (RPM) (mTorr) (Lt./hr (ppm) Lot 144 84 87 80 100 275 800 0.6 70Lot 145 84 86 72 96 275 1000 0.7 242

Table 13 is a summary of the test lots. The ranges given are highs andlows without any attention to average values

TABLE 13 finger wall wall wall vacuum rate speed yield Lot HC tempsetpoint middle bottom (mTorr) Lt./hr RPM % 141 2630 10-70 120 — —240-950 2.2 202 75 142 1772 78-84 70-95 — — 425-700 1.0 350 77 143 3380-85 100 80-91 66-82 450-600 .85 200-350 71 144 70 82-84 100 83-9170-84  800-1200 .6 275 74 145 242 84 59-96 85-87 68-72  500-1100 .7 27566

Hydrocarbon impurities can be effectively removed by using appropriateprocess parameters. Because the vacuum inside of the wiped film chamberis dependent on a number of factors including raw material impurityconcentrations, feed rate, wall temperature, vacuum pump condition,liquid nitrogen trap temperature, and prefraction condenser traptemperature, absolute temperatures do not do a good job of optimizingthe equipment capabilities. Relative temperatures are better suited toremoving volatile impurities. The relative separation between theevaporation temperature and the condensation temperature is the bestindicator of a proper short path distillation. The absolute temperaturearound which these two temperatures lie can vary according to the vacuuminside of the chamber, but the relative temperatures between them shouldremain constant.

Condensation temperature is a reasonably simple measurement, butmeasurement at the finger point of entry and exit is recommended inaddition to a bath measurement. A true measurement of the liquid wipedon the wall is a bit more difficult. The simplest way to do this is toattach a thermocouple to the unheated wall directly below the heatedwall. The liquid that has not evaporated flows down the wall at thispoint, and it should be just above the condensation temperature. If itis below that temperature, the distillation is inefficient because someof the TDEAT is not being evaporated. If it is much above thecondensation temperature, impurities that should remain liquid will havealso evaporated, thus decreasing the purity of the main fraction.

It is also important to insure that there is enough contact time betweenthe wall and the liquid to effect evaporation efficiently. There is alsothe danger that if the wall temperature is too high, “hotspot”decomposition of the liquid could occur even if the exiting temperatureis normal. There is also the possibility of a flow rate low enough thatall of the liquid evaporates, including some high boiling impurities,before reaching the bottom of the chamber. This is done by matching themiddle column temperature to the bottom temperature. This ensures thatthe liquid has reached an evaporation temperature halfway through theretention time, that no additional heating is occurring in the remainingretention time, and that the flow rate is high enough to precludeevaporation to dryness before reaching the chamber bottom.

There is a slight decrease in yield, about 10% by weight, due to anincrease in the heels and prefraction. However, this technique allowsrework of the heels and prefraction to extract the remaining TDEAT, andthis offsets some of the loss in yield. This technique looks promisingfor optimizing any chemical purified by short path distillation.

EXAMPLE #7

It was suggested that absorption would be a useful technique forreducing HC impurities. Samples were prepared that containedapproximately 1:1 ratio by weight of TDEAT with an absorbent. Lot #140was chosen as the source for the TDEAT for this experiment, and titaniumoxide, activated carbon, and Puraspec 2221 (ICI) were chosen as theabsorbents. These samples were agitated daily by hand, and sampled forHC content after one week. There was no identifiable change in the TiO2sample. Most of the color in the carbon sample was removed, as was someof the HC. In the Puraspec sample, the HC was lowered to 315 ppm, andsome of the color was removed. Several repeat SPME tests for HC were runon the Puraspec sample, and values of 133 and 159 ppm HC were detected.

TABLE 14 Sample# 140VT Q2006-A Q2006-B Q2006-C Q2006-D Item Lot 140VTcontrol TiO2 carbon Puraspec HC 4800 4403 4818 2646 315

Experiment #8

Experiment #7 was repeated to verify the results, but the ratio ofabsorbent to TDEAT was decreased to a 1:2 ratio by weight An extrasample of a 50/50 blend of carbon and Puraspec 2221 was included todetermine if both color and HC could be improved in one step. Also, anintermediate sample (Q2013D) was removed from the Puraspec 2221 vialafter two days to check the removal efficiency of the absorbent, as wellas a control sample (Q2013A-1) at the same time. The Puraspec loweredthe HC level from 5475 ppm to 2793 ppm in 24 hours. The vials weresampled again after one week, and the results are tabulated below. Thesame trends were noted, although the decrease in absorbent showed adecrease in HC removal. The blend was successful in removing both colorand HC, but neither was removed at the efficiency of each pure adsorbentalone. Again, the carbon was noted as removing the most color, and thePuraspec 2221 was noted as removing the most HC.

TABLE 15 Sample# 140VT Q2015-A Q2015-B Q2015-C Q2015-D Q2015-E item Lot140VT TiO2 Blend carbon Puraspec control HC 4800 4570 1036 4010 650 4937

Experiment #9

An experiment for testing the scale-up possibilities of Puraspec 2221was done. In a glovebox, a flask was charged with 2009 grams of TDEATand 204 grams of Puraspec 2221. This is 10% by weight and an approximate4 to 1 ratio by volume of TDEAT to absorbent. The sealed flask wasstirred with a stirbar apparatus for one week. It was sampled at twodays, four days, and one week. The sample at one week was taken afterthe absorbent was filtered out. The filtration was done through a 10micron filter (Arbortech, Model# Polycap HD), and finally through a 0.2micron filter (Balston, Model# AAQ). The process yielded approximately 2kg.

TABLE 16 Sample# Q2030-A Q2030-B Q2033-A Q2033 Q2046 item 2 day control2 day absorbed 4 day control 4 day absorbed final HC 2988 1552 1932 678441

It appears that absorption is a viable method for removing HC fromTDEAT. It also shows promise as a method for removing some of the colorimpurities. Additional techniques for this process have been considered.These include pressure filtration, high/low temperature filtration,sequential filtration, banded chromatography, and recirculated filterbeds.

Experiment #10

An experiment was done to observe the effects of a series of flask toflask (one plate) distillations. A 5 liter flask was filled with TDEAT(Lot 140) and distilled under dynamic vacuum. A prefraction of 10% byweight was taken and a heel of 10% by weight was left. The main fractionwas sampled, and the process was repeated for a total of threedistillations. This method appears to be another way to remove the HCcontent in TDEAT. This experiment indicates that each distillationreduces HC to approximately one fourth of the starting HC.

TABLE 17 Sample# 140VT Q2010VT Q2032VT Q2041VT item lot material 1× 2×3× HC 4800 1677 469 92

Experiment #11

An Oldershaw distillation system was built to examine TDEAT behavior inthis type of apparatus. The 5 liter reboiler was fitted with a 1-5-plateOldershaw column, and the system was placed under a dynamic vacuum of500 mTorr (+/−200 mTorr). Two runs were made in which a prefraction wastaken and a main fraction was collected. The first run was a rework ofLot #135, and the second was a batch using material from a differentsource. The color in the main fractions was noted as much improved overthe raw color. This technique is also a usable method for removinghydrocarbons.

TABLE 18 Sample# Q1093VT Q1097VT Q2002VT Q2014VT item run #1-rawrun#1-main run#2-raw run#2-main HC 9019 1107 3720 1780

Based upon the results discussed above, the inventors for the first timehave been able to determine a methodology for predicting depositionrates for titanium containing precursors based upon analyzed amine andhydrocarbon contents for various batches or lots of commerciallyproduced titanium containing precursors for end uses, such as theelectronics fabrication industry, where yield and throughput arecritical to the economics of integrated circuit manufacture.

Accordingly the present inventors have determined a process fordetermining a predicted deposition rate of a batch of a titaniumcontaining precursor in a chemical vapor deposition of a titaniumcontaining compound on a substrate, comprising; analyzing the organicamine content of the batch to determine an analytical amine content,comparing the analytical amine content against an amine content standard(which can be compiled from averaging a series of amine contentanalyses) and determining the predicted deposition rate from adeposition rate standard (which can be compiled from averaging a seriesof titanium compound depositions) based upon the deviation of theanalytical amine content from the amine content standard, wherein thepredicted deposition rate is greater than the deposition rate standardwhen the analytical amine content is greater than the amine contentstandard and the predicted deposition rate is less than the depositionrate standard when the analytical amine content is less than the aminecontent standard.

Similarly, the present inventors have determined a process fordetermining a predicted deposition rate of a batch of a titaniumcontaining precursor in a chemical vapor deposition of a titaniumcontaining compound on a substrate, comprising; analyzing thehydrocarbon content of the batch to determine an analytical hydrocarboncontent, comparing the analytical hydrocarbon content against anhydrocarbon content standard (which can be compiled from averaging aseries of hydrocarbon content analyses) and determining the predicteddeposition rate from a deposition rate standard (which can be compiledfrom averaging a series of titanium compound depositions) based upon adeviation of the analytical hydrocarbon content from the hydrocarboncontent standard, wherein the predicted deposition rate is less than thedeposition rate standard when the analytical hydrocarbon content isgreater than the hydrocarbon content standard and the predicteddeposition rate is greater than the deposition rate standard when theanalytical hydrocarbon content is less than the hydrocarbon contentstandard.

The present inventors have also determined a methodology for correlatingthe analyzed amine contents and the analyzed hydrocarbon contents for abatch of titanium containing precursor to determine a predicteddeposition rate based upon the impact or influence of both amine andhydrocarbon contents in such batches.

The present invention provides techniques to ascertain amine andhydrocarbon content and/or impurities, respectively in titaniumcontaining precursors for titanium compound deposition so as to enhancethe deposition rate of the titanium compound. At the low ppm levels thateffect enhancement of deposition rate (amine) or retard deposition rate(hydrocarbon), it is critical to have analytical techniques sensitiveenough to detect such low levels of amine or hydrocarbon functionality.The detection of levels of amine or hydrocarbon or the specific dopingor spiking of amine with controlled amounts of amine is important to beable to accurately and precisely predict the deposition rate ofcommercial lots of titanium containing precursor for customers using thetitanium containing precursor to deposit titanium containing films,particularly in the electronics fabrication industry, which requiresprecise recipies and reproducible results to sustain mass production ofhigh yields of acceptable integrated circuits and related electronicdevices.

In addtion, the discovery of the impact of amine content and hydrocarbonimpurities in titanium containing precursor deposition rates has led tothe discovery of novel and unexpected processes for enhancing theprocess of deposition of titanium containing compounds, such as films,for integrated circuits and other electronic devices. It is not obviousthat amine addition to titanium containing precursors would enhance thedeposition rate of titanium compounds on a substrate because for many ofthe preferred commercially viable titanium containing precursors, suchas TDMAT and TDEAT, amine functionality is a byproduct of thedecomposition of such precursors during CVD deposition of titaniumnitride on semiconductor substrates from such precursors.

The present invention has been set forth with regard to severalpreferred embodiments, but the full scope of the present inventionshould be ascertained from the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for increasing the rate of chemicalvapor deposition of titanium nitride from tetrakis(dialkylamino)titaniumreacted with ammonia to produce said titanium nitride on a semiconductorsubstrate by the addition of a deposition rate enhancing amount of anorganic amine to said tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium, wherein prior tothe reaction, said tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium is subjected to apurification process to remove hydrocarbon impurities from saidtetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium to further increase such deposition rate.2. The process of claim 1 wherein the tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium isselected from the group consisting of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium,tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium, tetrakis(dipropylamino)titanium,tetrakis(dibutylamino)titanium, and mixtures thereof.
 3. The process ofclaim 1 wherein said organic amines are selected from the groupconsisting of alkyl amines, alkenyl amines, alkynyl amines aryl amines,alkylaryl amines, dialkyl amines, diaryl amines, urea and mixturesthereof.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said organic amine isdipropyl amine.
 5. The process of claim 1 where said deposition rateenhancing amount of an organic amine is in the range of approximately 10parts per million by weight to 10 percent by weight of the titaniumcontaining precursor.
 6. The process of claim 5 wherein said organicamine is added in a range of approximately 50 parts per million byweight to 1.0 percent by weight.
 7. The process of claim 6 wherein saidorganic amine is added in a range of approximately 100 parts per millionby weight to 5000 parts per million by weight.
 8. A process fordecreasing a rate of chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride fromthe reaction of tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium with ammonia to producesaid titanium nitride on a semiconductor substrate comprising adding anamount of a hydrocarbon to the tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium.
 9. Theprocess of claim 8 wherein said hydrocarbons are C₁ to C₂₀ hydrocarbons.10. The process of claim 9 wherein said hydrocarbons are C₅ to C₁₀hydrocarbons.
 11. The process of claim 10 wherein said hydrocarbons areC₅ to C₁₀ alkanes.
 12. A process for increasing a rate of chemical vapordeposition of titanium nitride from the reaction oftetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium with ammonia to produce said titaniumnitride on a semiconductor substrate comprising purifying thetetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium to reduce an amount of a hydrocarboncontained therein.
 13. The process of claim 12 wherein purifying step toremove the hydrocarbon from the tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium isselected from the group consisting of distillation, sorption, membraneseparation, solvent extraction and combinations thereof.
 14. A processfor increasing the rate of chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitridefrom the reaction of tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium with ammonia toproduce said titanium nitride on a semiconductor substrate by comprisingadding an amount of an organic amine to saidtetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium.
 15. The process of claim 14 furthercomprising controlling the amount of a hydrocarbon within thetetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium.
 16. The process of claim 15 wherein thecontrolling step comprises purifying the tetrakis(dialkylamino)titaniumto reduce the hydrocarbon contained therein.
 17. The process of claim 14wherein the tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium is selected from the groupconsisting of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium,tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium, tetrakis(dipropylamino)titanium,tetrakis(dibutylamino)titanium, and mixtures thereof.
 18. The process ofclaim 14 wherein said organic amine is selected from the groupconsisting of alkyl amines, alkylaryl amines, dialkyl amines, andmixtures thereof.
 19. The process of claim 14 wherein said organic amineis dipropyl amine.
 20. A process for increasing a rate of chemical vapordeposition of titanium nitride on a semiconductor substrate, the processcomprising: controlling an amount of a hydrocarbon within atetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium; adding an amount of an organic amine tothe tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium to provide a reaction mixture; andexposing the reaction mixture to an ammonia reagent under time,temperature, and pressure conditions sufficient to react and form thetitanium nitride.
 21. The process of claim 20 wherein the controllingstep comprises purifying the tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium to reducethe amount of the hydrocarbon contained therein.
 22. The process ofclaim 21 wherein the purifying step is a process selected from the groupconsisting of distillation, sorption, membrane separation, solventextraction, and combinations thereof.
 23. The process of claim 20wherein the hydrocarbon comprises C₁ to C₂₀ hydrocarbons.
 24. Theprocess of claim 23 wherein the hydrocarbon comprises C₅ to C₁₀hydrocarbons.
 25. The process of claim 24 wherein the hydrocarboncomprises C₅ to C₁₀ alkanes.
 26. The process of claim 20 wherein theamount of an organic amine added ranges from approximately 10 parts permillion by weight to 10 percent by weight of thetetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium.
 27. The process of claim 26 wherein theamount of organic amine added ranges from approximately 50 parts permillion by weight to 1.0 percent by weight.
 28. The process of claim 20wherein the tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium is selected from the groupconsisting of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium,tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium, tetrakis(dipropylamino)titanium,tetrakis(dibutylamino)titanium, and mixtures thereof.
 29. The process ofclaim 20 wherein the organic amine is selected from the group consistingof alkyl amines, alkylaryl amines, dialkyl amines, and mixtures thereof.30. A process for decreasing a rate of chemical vapor deposition oftitanium nitride on a semiconductor substrate comprising: providing areaction mixture comprising tetrakis(dialkylamino)titanium; reducing anamount of an organic amine within the reaction mixture; and exposing thereaction mixture to ammonia to produce said titanium nitride.